Page 41 of Faking It With My New Boss

Maybe I could have gotten to the coffee shop just a few seconds later. I could have ignored him and not cared about the pastry. I could have stopped and considered something else to have for breakfast. It would have gotten him to the office first and I would have gotten there as the right woman was ushered into his office.

Either way, I wouldn't have ended up here, in this position. It would be so much for the better.

I thought he was going to apologize. When he said he wanted to talk to me, I thought he was going to open up, to tell me he wassorry, or how he felt, or something. Anything. Instead, it was all about him. As usual. It was just proof I'd done the right thing by ending everything between us. Proof that it would have been better if this had never started at all.

Only, I didn't fully believe that. I was right to walk away, but my heart was still clinging to the moments I had with him. He awakened me to so much it was hard for me to really regret having anything to do with him. Even if it was excruciating.

I managed to stretch a fake smile across my face and go back into the gala looking breezy and confident. Sweeping through the space, I did my best to mimic being happy and to seem like I was having a wonderful time. As I moved through the event, I also stayed vigilant, watching out for Bryan to show back up. I was doing my absolute best to avoid him and to get through the rest of the night without having to interact with him at all.

If I could choose, I would not have to say a single word to him ever again that didn't involve him handing over my bonus and accepting my resignation.

Pretending everything was fantastic was exhausting, and after a while, I had to step to the side and take a break with a drink. Vanessa came beside me, holding her own drink like she thought we needed the cover.

“How are you doing?” she asked.

“How does it look like I'm doing?” I asked.

“Well, if I was anybody else, I would say you look like you are in complete control and having a great time,” she said. “As your best friend I know that probably means you are right on the brink of falling apart.”

“Your observation skills never disappoint,” I said.

“I thought I saw Bryan and you walk away together,” she said.

“You did,” I said. “And I thought he wanted to apologize to me. I thought this was going to be the moment when he finally confessed his feelings and said he was sorry for everything. I was a complete idiot.”

“You aren't an idiot,” she said. “And you are strong. You can do this. You've been through worse and you can do this.”

“I don't know if I've been through worse,” I said. “I don't even remember my divorce being this bad. I'm trying, but I really don't know if I can do this.”

“You can,” she reassured me. “But if you can't, you don't have to. You can leave. And I will make a statement and leave with you.”

Hearing her say that told me I really couldn't just walk away. I had to put on my big girl panties, suck it up, and fulfill my commitment.

“No,” I said. “I put this event together and I'm going to see it through.”

“Alright,” she said. “If that's how you feel, now would be the time to brace yourself.”

“What?” I asked, confused. “Why?”

She nodded toward the stage and my heart thudded in my chest when I saw Bryan climb up on the stage. He strode toward the microphone, clearly preparing to make his speech. It was something we talked about during the planning of the event. He would let the party go on for a while, let everybody get sufficiently impressed, then he would make a speech presenting himself as the fearless, highly qualified leader of the company and encouraging everyone to give generously to the fundraiser.

It was supposed to be his crowning moment of the entire event. Before everything, I'd been looking forward to seeing him take the stage and have that moment, to prove himself and shake the control of his grandfather.

Now I just felt sick.

There was nothing I could do to escape. If I tried to leave now, it would be obvious. The attention was on the stage, everybody still and watching intently. Me leaving would cause a stir and everybody would notice. I had no choice but to just stand there and hear it out. I downed my drink, took Vanessa's out of her hand, and drank it as well.

It started out pretty much as we had planned and he practiced. I could almost mouth the sentences along with him as he embarked on the task of whipping everybody up into a generous, benevolent mood and encouraging them to give. Then, the speech veered.

“I've heard very kind comments tonight about the event. Many of you have expressed how impressed you are with the changes and how much you are enjoying a change of pace compared to other years of the event. Everyone thinks I put this together and that I'm the one who pulled it off because as the new head of the company, it was my responsibility to throw this event.

But I'm here to tell you it wasn't me. I'm not the one who did any of this.”

“What is he doing?” Vanessa whispered.

I shook my head, staring at the stage.

“I have no idea,” I said.

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